4/19/12- 2D Design

Today's Class- Having used color to this point to explore aspects of color theory, tonight we tried a more traditional use of color, a still life painting. We looked at a few slides of still life painting from the Renaissance to the present, discussing the functions it served for artist and viewer. Then I set up a still life of colorful objects and drapery for the class to paint from.

How to make this up- Put a box on a table and drape with a multicolored cloth. Arrange 4 solidly colored objects (different colors from each other and from the cloth) on and around the box and light to create light and shadow patterns. You may sketch it first in pencil, or just draw directly with the paint. Pay attention to individual shapes, proportions, spacing, perspective, value, and try to match colors as close as possible to the colors in your still life set up. Spend up to 3 hours on it. This is a portfolio exercise, and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit. Above and below are student examples from previous semesters.

Homework- Nothing new, but the mixed media collage project that we started last week is due at the beginning of class on April 26, 2012. Those who still owe a back project (woodcut, color temperature collage, limited palettes project) should get them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

For next class 4/26/12- We will begin our Final Project of the semester, for which you will adapt the work of a recognized fine artist (found in major museums, art history textbooks, etc). The artist's work should be 2D (painting, prints, drawings) and in color, and must contain narrative elements (not abstraction). Bring in color reproductions of your chosen artist's work, such as a book devoted to the artist. If you have no one in mind, bring a book with paintings of a favorite style, period, or subject, or at least a general art history book. Also bring pencil and eraser, all your painting materials, and some paper to sketch ideas.